


When the dawn comes

by Zonley



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Clumsy!cullen, Comment chitchat, Dancing!cullen, Dorian Being Dorian, Dorian is awesome, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Give that man a cookie, Humor, I need a rl Dorian, Lyrium Withdrawal, Mages and Templars, Nug leather is murder, Nugs are no food, Omg is it still burning, Romance, Slow Burn, Spirit mage, Struggle, Sweet!Cullen, longing!cullen, predator!cullen, so slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-19 13:42:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13124913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zonley/pseuds/Zonley
Summary: Violia's life is changed from one moment to the next as she falls out of a fade rift.She makes new friends and foes and soon developes a strong curiosity about the Commander of the Inquisition - Cullen Stanton Rutherford.Is there more than curiosity?Will he be able to overcome his past? After all she's a mage and the Herald of Andraste while he's an ex-Templar who saw and felt the worst magic can do to people.Combined with her own unpleasant past, the two of them are struggling with their feelings.We have Cookies,  have fluff and a sloooooow burn. And last but not least. We have Dorian.Told from both perspectives.





	1. Honey and Shining Armor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Askleposia](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Askleposia).



> TOTAL MAKEOVER HAS STARTED. I'm going to re-write the whole story, the older version has been deleted by me.
> 
> Hi everyone! (^-^)/  
> I hope you'll enjoy my own version of how a romance between Cullen and a female mage Trevelyan (Violia) might develope.  
> It's my first fan fiction and it's based on Dragon Age: Inquisition, sometimes different from the story told in the game.  
> Jumps are possible.
> 
> English isn't my native language, so I hope there aren't that maaaany typos or mistakes. 
> 
> You are welcome to express your oppinions.  
> your Zonley

He stood in the back as he waited for the Herald to leave her hut. Cassandra and Varric were standing in front of the door patiently, rolling their eyes at each other, while whispering. After the servant had informed them about the Heralds awakening, almost everyone in Haven had come to see her. He could hear the muffled whispering of the people around him.  
  
"...the Herald."  
“She saved us."  
"Andraste, thank you!"  
  
But there also was disgusted hissing from few next to him.  
  
"She's a mage!"  
"She killed the Divine!"  
  
Cullen turned with an unmistakable glare and they fell silent.  
To be honest, he had trouble to don’t act like the hissing mob himself. His distrust in magic routed deep, the memories of his time before Kirkwall haunting him almost every single night. He swallowed hard to clear his mind and took a closer look at the young woman who had now opened the door.

Cullen let his eyes run over her appearance. Her left hand glowed slightly and her hair had the color of straw mixed with darker brown. It was falling over her right shoulder in a long braid. She wasn't petite, in fact she was one of the tallest women around, but still not as tall as him. Her posture showed that she was well aware of that fact, obviously making her feel uncomfortable as she wasn't standing properly upright, hangig her shoulders and bending her head down.

She stood in front of the Lady seeker and Varric, showing a shy smile as both were talking soothing to her. Cullen could see her nod and then her eyes started to wander around the camp and the gawking people. Now he could see her eyes. They were the same color as a demonic manifestation. The inner iris had a glowing yellowish green and was circled by a ghostly darker green ring. He swallowed, his neck hair raised, making him shiver and instantly feeling even more uncomfortable about her - his inner alarm was going off. He had never seen such eyes and he had seen quite a lot of mages before. 

Cullen caught himself staring, as her eyes suddenly locked with his, For a short moment the glowing got brighter and then disappeared. That woman _definitely_ was dangerous and he would do his best to keep her under controll.  
He looked away and turned on his heels, signaling the group to follow him. After a few steps, Leliana approached him and walked next to him. “I have the information we wanted. She’s a Trevelyan”, she said while holding a report between them.

 _“A Trevelyan? I never heard that they had a mage in their family.”,_ he mused as they took the last steps up to the chantry.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
So much had happened in the last days. She had fallen out of a rift - out of the fade they said. Around her nothing more than burned corpses. She had felt so much anger and hatred towards her while she had tried to explain what she didn't understand herself.

Eventually the woman - Cassandra - had believed her and lead her to the breach.  
She shuddered, trying to banish the uprising memories of all the dead and dying bodies around her.  
After that she had been sleeping for two days, the servant inside the hut had told her.

And now there she was - surrounded by people, whispering, gazing... hissing. Cassandra's and Varric's calming words weren't helping much. She didn't feel like it, but she let her eyes wander anyway.

Some looked frightened, most looked thankful and a few seemed to want to kill her with the sheer hatred in their stare. She sighed, but could stop her from being more carried away. Her eyes were caught by a tall man standing on top of the stairs. He stood there in silence looking at her, but it seemed he was in thoughts as his look went right through her, focusing on something far behind her. He looked stunning and despite his heavy armor and his big cloak, he seemed well built. But still something about seemed not right to her, he looked tense.

Still - she couldn't stop admiring him. His hair was almost golden and had small curls. It looked incredibly soft. He had a small scar on his upper lip, making her wonder how it got there. His hands were resting on his pommel. And then there were his eyes.  
Also golden in their color, they looked like honey. They caught her like fire the moth and she sinked into them. Too late she realized, those eyes were now locked with hers. She could see his body stiffen as his eyes turned cold.

 _„What else should there be?"_ \- she sighed, knowing of the opinion many people were holding towards mages. Plus, that stupid chancellor Roderich was claiming she had killed the Divine and not few believed his false accusation.  
Suddenly the man did a sharp turn, walking away in a fast pace and waving his hand to follow.

 _"Trapped honey..."_ she thought.

"Weeeeelp." She heard a deep voice and Varric was looking at her. "For my defense, I thought that it was a stupid idea to chose Rutherford as the Commander of our troops. He's an Ex-Templar, you know?"

Violia rolled her eyes. Perfect. "So I'm not only still fighting against the prejudices of everyone, but I also have to deal with an superior who _is_ a templar?", "Varric trust me, they never stop being one of them.", she added as she saw him trying to contradict.

"Come one, let's not make the Commander wait." Cassandra interrupted their discussion, signaling her to move _._

  
They stood around the war table. Discussing and arguing about their next steps, about what happened, about the current situation, about – her. She stood there and listened, from time to time she answered their questions while thinking about how she could help and possible solutions. Cassandra updated her about what she had missed while sleeping.

They had evoked the Inquisition and were planning to restore the order and to close the remaining breach. Featuring her as she was the only one known to be able of closing the rifts. The Commander had joined them after Cassandra had outreached for him and Leliana had recruited a young Lady called Josephine as ambassador.  
Half through, Violia noticed that the Commander was glaring at her.

He also hadn’t talked with her directly yet, just asked Leliana and Cassandra as if Violia wouldn’t exist or wasn’t worthy to be addressed by him.  
She swallowed, while watching him in the corner of her eyes until he finally turned his gaze away. " _That's right Templar_ ", Violia thought, " _Nothing to see here, so stop treating me like some plague_." He stiffened, flexing his jaw muscles. Crap. He must have feld her spirit magic, which radiated from her all the time, but getting stronger when she showed emotions like open distrust. " _Okay, Vio. Stop behaving like a child, try treating him like some normal s-_ "

“We have to ask the templars for help!”, he roared and ripped her inner monologue to pieces. She winced and couldn't stop her from sending a toxic look in his direction.

“No. I think the mages would be better to stick with in this situation.”, the spymaster replied, rolling her eyes at his behaviour.

"I was a former templar, I know what they are capable of.”, he threw back at her, "they could surpess the breach, leadi-"

“Shouldn’t we ask the herald for her opinion?”, Josephine cut in as she tried to appease them.

“I wouldn’t determine before we haven’t spoken with both sides.”, she mumbled, feeling uneasy under three paires of eyes, one of them burning into hers like she could turn into some kind of demon any minute. The two women nodded and Cullen frowned at her, rising one eyebrow in disbelief: " _Aw what's wrong Templar? Surprised by non-preoccupied decisions?_ ", she thought, regretting it instantly as she could tell her magic was spreading again, making her eyes glow.

She could see his tension, ready to intervene any moment. She calmed down, blinking slowly and turning her head. As she opened her eyes again, her emotions were sealed and the glowing gone.

However, her answer seemed to please both sides as even the Commander began to concentrate on other topics - not before shooting her one last glare.  
  
After the meeting was over, she felt exhausted. If someone had asked her, she would have said that it was impossible to get this tired just by talking. But here she was: With her back leaning against the wall of the chantry breathing in the cold air as a deep sigh escaped her lungs.  
She didn’t know how long he had been standing there, but she suddenly felt the presence of someone coming closer. She stepped aside just as the Commander almost rushed her over.

"Wowow, careful.", she said, making his head snap.

"Excuse me Herald.", he said in a cold voice, "I was in a hurry and didn't expect someone standing right next to the door.", He tilted his head, looking at her like she was the one who had done something wrong.

"Do you think I was eavesdropping or something?", she asked nonchalantly, trying to stay calm.

"I'm not saying anything like that.", he shot back, "But how could you make that step aside in the last second, if you weren't?"

" _Crap, he noticed my last minute dodging_.", "This is nothing of your concern, I was just lucky - otherwise you would have rushed me over - me the _Herald_.", she replied sourly. Oh that man! Ex-Templar? She laughed try inside her head, that man was the pure incarnation of a fulltime Templar! Still she could surpress her emotions enough, that her eyes wouldn't start glowing.

He looked at her for a while before he nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes to a slit. "You are right, Herald. I'm sorry. I guess, I'm just seeing demons.", he said with his cold voice, watching her as if something could happen any minute. Violia anwered his glare with an innocent but slightly annoyed look until he turned without any more words, leaving her alone.

" _Holy Moly. That was a close call. He knows - or thinks he would know. I bet he just wanted to trigger me right now._ ", she mused, still leaning at the wall. How could she tell him, that the glowing of her eyes wasn't some sign of demonic intents? Best was she stayed calm, making it unable for him to provoke her until she had proven her falue.

"Hey, cheer up!“ she heard from the left and she saw Varric approaching her. „I watched you from my campfire since you left an started to lean there - the Commander, charming as always.", he snorted, "I know just the right thing, come on.“ She followed him eagerly, hoping to forget the loneliness crawling into her bones. Varric led them to what seemed to be the tavern.

„Soooo let’s talk about more pleasant things.“, he said and threw a roguish smile at her, „two ales please“ he turned to the host. She had met him on her way to the breach and he had treated her nice and honest from the beginning. He took both ales and walked to an empty table in one of the corners.

„Having a hard time, eh?“ She nodded and took a sip of her ale, it tasted awful, but she never liked alcohol anyways. „Just give him some time, he will calm down eventually. He's not a bad man, listen to that story I heard about him at KirkwallI.“ Varric said and he started to tell her all he knew about the Commander. 

"You see.", Varric ended his narratives, "I'm confident he just needs his time."  
"I have to admit, he sounds like a reasonable man.", Vio said, her tongue already losened by the ale. "But he seems to see some danger coming from me and I think it's because of my eyes."

Varric nodded, "That's not impossible. I mean, they are special. That glowing-thingy caught me off guard I first noticed, too. I never saw something like this before. I bet for an E _x_ -Templar it has to be even more confusing."

Violia, sighed. "Yes, yes. I know. Gosh Varric, why you always have to be right? Couldn't you say something like: 'Oi girl, that man's a stupid tinfoil hat'?"

He chuckled "I'm afraid I can't."

"Alright. I'll give him time and now - let's talk about something else."

Varric’s funny bone and the ale did their work and Violia started to feel much better. She giggled as Varric ended his third story with a fantastic plot twist and broad laughter. She told him about her time at the circle and about her time before the circle. How her parents had looked at her, when her magic showed for the first time and how the templars had took her with them just hours later. She didn’t know why she was telling her story to someone she just met, he was still a stranger. But somehow, she had the feeling, that it was alright. The only things she skipped were everything related with Quinn.

„Thank you Varric“, she said smiling at him, after she had finished her narrations.

„No problem firefly, sometimes we need some distraction by a friend.“, Varric replied with an understanding look.

„Friend?“, she listened attentively, „Firefly?“

"Yep. Friend.“ He smirked, „And for the nickname, it‘s already too late, you’re firefly. Period.“

She smiled again as the tiredness started to kick in. „Thank you Varric, really. You helped me.“, she said while standing up slowly.

"I know“, he replied again in broad laughter, „See you tomorrow.“

"See you.“ Violia muffled, walking out the tavern. She hadn’t realized how the time fled while talking to Varric, but by now it was darkest night. She shuddered in the cold air as she couldn’t remember where her hut was located. „Gosh. I’m so stupid.“, she hissed and started to walk in any direction.

„Are you lost sweetheart?“ a voice ripped trough the dark. Violia couldn’t spot from where it came. In fact, it was too dark to see anything more than shadows. She had failed to sense their presences either - damn Commander, making her surpress her spirit magic to an dangerous extent.

„My my, what a nice woman, look at that hips“ a second voice added.  
She swallowed as two shadows came off behind her. She turned but it was too late. One grabbed her legs and the other one dashed her to the ground.

„UFF“, the air left her lungs, she wanted to scream, but a third person crawled out of the dark pressing his hand on her mouth. She couldn't make the smallest sound nor use her magic, overwhelmed by panic and pain from the impact. She tried to kick or punch, but the three of them were just too powerful.

Fear and anger washed over her and she could feel her eyes starting to glow.

"Fuck, look at here eyes!", one of her attackers screamed. "Gouge them out!", the second demanded. Instinctivly Violia closed her eyes and kept them shut.

"Wait guys, before we came here, didn't we hear stories about the Herald an her eyes?" the third and seemingly most intelligent of the men asked.

The three fell silent, obviously thinking about their next steps. Then the man covering her mouth said: "You know what that means guys? JACKPOT! They will pay any amount for her li-."

„What’s all that fuzz about?" A deep and calm voice asked. A fourth shadow had approached without anyone noticing.

„Stay away! We are armed and outnumbering you!“, one of her assaulters hissed. „We are just about to have some fun that’s all.“

„She doesn’t look like she's having fun.“ the voice growled, now nearer and more threatening. "Why don't we ask her, take your filthy hand from her mouth!" Violia whimpered finding her breath again.  
She could hear someone drawing a sword and saw some daggers flashing in the hands of her assaulters.

„No“, she prayed. The next second she heard screams around her as the three attacked someone, setting her free. She heard one man coughing as if hit right on the throat, another one was swearing through clenched teeth and in the next moment there was a dump sound. Realizing she was able to move again, she bobbed up just in the right moment as two of the men went down, hitting the place where she had been laying.

A few moments later the third one followed his friends to the ground, spitting something which had to be blood. Violia sighed in great relief. She had never attacked anyone with her magic and together with the shock and the ale, she wouldn't have been able to defend herself.  
The fight had attracted more attention and she could see a few soldiers running to the place with torches.

 „Get them and imprison them in the wettest, darkest and coldest prison cell you can find. We will judge them tomorrow.“, her savior barked while taking one of the torches as the men did as told. He seemed not the slightest bit out of breath. 

„Thank yo-„ she started, freezing when she saw his face. Or more when she saw his eyes. Glowing green met honey. „Commander!“ she breathed, noticing him freezing in shock, too. His eyes wide opened as he took a step back from her. She sighed and looked down, trying to calm her thoughts a bit, but without success.

„Nothing to thank me about, Herald.“ Cullen said with a firm voice. She looked up to find him looking directly at her, the mistrust seemed to be mixed with a bit of curiosity. 

„So why have you been at this place at this hour?“ he asked.

„I- I couldn’t find my hut.“ She confessed, feeling stupid for her mistake. "I was searching for it when these three men suddenly attacked me. I -I couldn't - I never attacked anything but monsters with my magic. I was overhelmed."

He rose an eyebrow at her before he called for a female soldier standing back in some distance.

„Lead the Herald to her hut.“, he commanded. „Try to rest, we will talk tomorrow.“ He seemed to be in a hurry to get away from her as he turned and walked off the moment he had finished his sentence.


	2. Distrust and Prejudices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the re-working continues as promised 
> 
> Cullen is quite a bit hardened now - I played DAO once more and was reminded how unforgiving his oppinion in/after Kinloch is.
> 
> enjoy! :)

Violia thanked the soldier as she entered her hut. Her heart was racing. Her head was still fluffy from the ale and adrenaline, making her unsure whether the diffident curiosity in the Commander's eyes had just been a trick of her mind.

„ _What a strange man._ ", she mused, " _Maybe there's really some truth in Varric's reassurances. In another life maybe - but now unpleasant to know I -_ " The exhaustion creeped inside her bones without any forewarning, making her unable to breathe, forcing her into an unsettled sleep without even reaching her bed.

  
The sun hadn't completely risen as a scream echoed through the camp. Cullen got instantly goose bumps and started to run. Actually, he wanted to go to the training grounds while he was thinking for a suitable punishment for the three assaulters of the Herald. But the scream reached something deep inside him, bringing back memories of his own torment - that was no human sound and he knew exactly where it came from.

 _„Hurry!“,_  he thought while he sprinted along the snowy paths to a secluded hut.  
Finally he reached the source and his sword drawn he slowly sneaked closer, laying one hand onto the closed door. Someone clearing his throat made him freeze halfway.

"What exactly do you think you're doing by trying to enter the Herald's hut with a drawn sword,  _Commander_?", Varric watched him with an angry look, as he approached from behind a tree. 

"Don't act like you didn't hear!", Cullen hissed, "There's clearly an abomination inside. I knew that  _mage_  was no good! I won't hesitate to save everyone inside of Haven."

"All  _I_   heard, Commander was the scream of a young  _woman_  who has seen too much in her short life, haunted by nightmares." Varric spit out between clenched teeth, "Or is that something Sir Knightcommander can't imagine? A mage with human fears and feelings? To think I was the one who told her, she just should give you time to acclimate - she was right, once Templar always one."

Cullen's jaw muscles were tense and his teeth grinding while looking at Varric. A second scream teared the beginning day apart - to the Commander's astonishment there was nothing monstrous about it. It just sounded like the desparate whining of a bothered soul - maybe just as his very own.

"Put your sword away, Commander. Now. Or the Lady Seeker will hear of this." 

The Commander did as told, but layed one hand on his pommel. "Go inside and if you see anything suspicious - Call me and I will end this before it begins."

Varric answered with a snarl, shaking his head in contempt as he carefuly opened the door and started to talk softly and soothing inside. Cullen could hear the Herald react to Varric's entrance. And was there even sobbing? He darted off, hoping no one except Varric had seen his behaviour and the dwarf would keep his word of not telling anyone. He felt deeply ashamed of his own behaviour, but still unsure whether the first unhuman scream had just been his imagination.

There was something about that woman. Her eyes started sometimes to glow and then he could feel her magic like a hum in the air, like weak power surges licking his skin, like a whisper in his head. So far nothing more had happened. Yet.

He would be prepared.  
  
He decided to talk to Lady Seeker Cassandra about the Herald. Lying to himself that it was because of the fact it was good to know a possible threat - the truth was because of his guilty conscience. But his past with mages had hardened him. He wouldn't kill innocents out of nowhere - not like that crazy woman in Kirkwall - but still they could be more dangerous than anything else. He knew that. He had learned the hard way.

Cassandra told him how the young woman had voluntarily helped them. How she had fought with her and even protected her by throwing barriers. Cassandra told that the Herald was urging her to take a more dangerous path through the mountains to the breach, as she heard that some soldiers had went missing on their way. Thanks to her persistence they were able to rescue them and that wasn’t the only time she had risked her own life for people she didn’t know, who even wanted to kill her just moments before.

Cullen listened attentively, sometimes rising one eyebrow in minor disbelieve. 

"Commander, you are needed at the training grounds. The new recruits have arrived.", a soldier announced, approaching the two of them.

"I will be there in a few minutes. Dismissed.", he sent the man away, turning again to the Lady Seeker, "Thank you for the information. As you heard I have to head off now."

Before he could leave a hand on his left shoulder made him still.

"Commander, I know that your past with mages made you the man you are today and I know that the Herald seems to be extraordinary - I admit even a bit scary - but she won't do any harm. Think of her situation. She fell in this, she got overrun by duties. By strangers. She has to find her place and we shouldn't make it even worse for her."

"I understand.", Cullen answered, nodding slightly, then leaving for the training grounds.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Violia hadn't left her hut all day. After her terrible nightmares, she had felt indescribable tired and cachectic. The funny thing was she couldn't remeber what exactly she had dreamed about - that never happened before. All she could remeber was some angry whispering in front of the door before Varric entered, talking soothing to her until she had calmed down a bit.

By now she layed in her tub, heating the water with her fire magic. " _Well I still suck at that, but at least my skills last for heating my own bath._ ", she thought cynical, " _Otherwise I guess I should be thankful. Would my fire magic be as develpoed as my spirit magic, who knows I'd probably be a human torch half of the day."_

 _"My my, that would be fun for the Commander, I wonder whether he would douse me with cold water all the time or slit my throat. Oh wait. Right. He would activate his Templar-mode._ ", she chuckled, " _No, he seems to be a decent man after all._ "

Varric had told her the incidents of the morning with the Commander, well he had told her the most or better - he had told her his version of the story, not the actual drawn-sword-ready-to-cut-the-mage-Herald-abomination-into-pieces-version. But she knew the Commander had overreacted _a bit_.

Lost in thoughts she took her favorite aromatic oil from the shelf and poured some into the warm water. A delicate scent of Vanilla started to spread.

After she had relaxed for a while, she decided to actually do something useful in addition and got ready to leave. She had to do her practices as the archmage had told her before she had left for the conclave. She had mastered her Harrowing without any troubles, but the sheer power of her abilities took their toll since they had manifested. Wearing her entire equipment she left her hut and headed to the forest.

First she did the basics, throwing barriers. Combat was a good thing, but being able to save her comrades was even better. Her barriers were very durable, but could only shield up to three people - one too little as they travelled in a group of four most of the time.

Halfway trough her training she sensed someone. She stood turned away from that person, but she knew it had to be a Templar. She could spread her spirit magic easily, making it able for her to touch the other mind, making it able to identify anyone, but that was way to intimidate and unnecessary - as of yet there was only one Templar at Haven. The Commander.

She knew he was watching and it was clear that she shouldn't dare to confront him. He would be alarmed. Possible even worse. Either he had enough balls to call attention to himself or he would just continue standing there, leaving eventually.

He did neither leave nor approach her until she decided to go back to Haven and meet with Varric for dinner. Only when she started to leave, securing her staff on her back, she could feel him steal away.

The next day she found herself together with Varric, Cassandra and Solas riding through the gates, heading to Val Royeaux. It had been a hasty reaction, because Leliana, Josephine and Cullen feared more trouble with the chantry otherwise.

It was a total disaster. First, she got called a murderer by the remaining chantry members, second the Templars popped in, rioting and leaving the City. Then the leader of the free mages invited them to Redcliff. Violia was tired of that selfish behavior of everyone who could actually help. So she decided to head back to Haven first restocking their resources, before they would travel to the Hinterlands and visiting Redcliff.

They decided to make a break for two days, as the incident with the Templars complicated the situation. At least Cassandra had been with them, being a reliable source of information for Leliana, Josephine and Cullen making it impossible for the three of them to think it was just a fictitious story by Solas and Violia. 

Happy to have a bit time for herself, Violia headed to her private training grounds again. 

After a short time, she could sense someone nearby. " _And there he is, my private watchdog._ ", she chuckled.


End file.
